Constance of Brittany ^{1 2 3}

   Cause of her death was some say she died in childbirth, other that she died of smallpox.

  General Notes:

Constance was Duchess of Brittany between 1186 and 1196. She was the only child of Conan IV, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond, by his wife Margaret of Scotland, countess of Hereford (granddaughter of king David II).

In 1181, Constance married Geoffrey Plantagenet, the fourth son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and had two children by him: Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany (1184-1241) and Arthur. Geoffrey assumed the title of Duke of Brittany and became the effective ruler of the duchy since the date. However, he died in 1186, stamped by a horse during a tournament. Constance then became ruler of Brittany until 1196, when she abdicated in favour of Arthur.

Constance married two more times: with Ranulph de Blundeville, Earl of Chester in 1188 and with Guy of Thouars in 1199. From Guy, Constance had a daughter, Alix of Thouars, who married Peter de Dreux, first Breton ruler of the House of Dreux.

  Noted events in her life were:

• She was a Duchess (Heiress) of Brittany from 1186 to 1196.

• She was a Countess of Richmond.

• Interred: 24 Nov 1225, Villeneuve Abbey, Nantes, Brittany.

Constance married Geoffrey IV Plantagenet, son of Henry II Curtmantle of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, in Jul 1181. (Geoffrey IV Plantagenet was born on 23 Sep 1158, died on 19 Aug 1186 in Paris, France and was buried in Notre Dame, Paris, France.)

  Marriage Notes:

In 1166, in furtherance of his father's policy of extending and consolidating Angevin power in France, Geoffrey was betrothed to Constance, daughter and heir of Conan IV, Duke of Brittany. ⁴

Constance next married Guy of Thouars in 1199. (Guy of Thouars died on 13 Apr 1213 and was buried in Villeneuve Abbey Church.)